Electronic coupon filtering and delivery

Abstract

A method of delivering coupons to a user/client at a portable device. The method includes determining memory space available on the device for storing coupons, each coupon being associated with a merchant. A set of coupons that each fit the available memory space is determined and ranked in order based on a scoring of the associated merchant. A subset of the set of coupons are delivered to the portable device; the subset fitting the available memory space based on the coupon ranking order, which in turn is based on the associated merchant's scoring. The scoring is preferably based on filter criteria which may include demographic, location of device, and other information, and combinations thereof. Coupon ranking is alternatively based on data sources external to the portable device like merchant or retailer databases.

1 . A method for delivering coupons to a portable device comprising:
 determining memory space available on the portable device for storing plural coupons, each coupon being associated with a merchant;   determining a set of coupons that each fit the available memory space;   ranking the set of coupons in order based on a scoring of the associated merchant; and   delivering a subset of the set of coupons to the portable device of a user, wherein the subset fits the available memory space based on the coupon ranking order.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the scoring of the associated merchant is based on a plurality of filter criteria. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the scoring comprises:
 determining a weighting that each filter criteria will have on the scoring for each merchant; determining a score for each merchant for each filter criteria;   applying the weighting of each filter criteria for each merchant to the corresponding merchant's score for the filter criteria; and   determining a total score for each merchant by summing the corresponding weighted merchant's score for each filter criteria.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the sum of the weightings for each merchant totals one hundred percent. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the merchant scores for each filter criteria are normalized. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each merchant is associated with one or more coupons. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein delivery is via a wireless protocol. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising determining the location of the portable device and wherein one of the filter criteria is the distance from the merchant's location to the location of the portable device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the filter criteria are based on demographic information received from the user of the portable device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the demographic information includes age and one of filter criteria is the user's age. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the filter criteria are based on a history of the coupons previously delivered to the portable device. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the score for each merchant is adjusted if the merchant's coupons have previously been delivered to the portable device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising determining coupons that the user of the portable device has used for a purchase. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein one or more of the filter criteria are based on prior use by the user of coupons of the merchant delivered to the portable device, wherein the corresponding filter criteria score is increased if the user has previously used one or more of a merchant's coupons. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising determining which coupons the user of the portable device has viewed on the portable device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein one or more of the filter criteria are based on the user's coupon viewing pattern. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the score for the viewing pattern based filter criteria is decreased if the user has not viewed any coupons for a brand associated with the merchant. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein one or more of the filter criteria are based on a relative preference between merchants. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein a merchant's score for the relative merchant preference based criteria is increased or decreased relative to other merchants based on the merchant's popularity. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the plurality of filter criteria comprise:
 one or more criteria based on the distance from the merchant's location to the location of the portable device;   one or more criteria based on the age of the user of the portable device;   one or more criteria based on a history of the coupons previously delivered to the portable device;   one or more criteria based on prior usage of delivered coupons by the user of the portable device;   one or more criteria based on the user's coupon viewing pattern; and   one or more of the filter criteria based on a relative preference between merchants.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising determining an address of the user of the portable device, and wherein one or more of the filter criteria is based on the user's address. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein one or more of the filter criteria is based on the distance from the merchant's location to the user's address. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein determining the address includes using data from at least one source remote from both the portable device and the user. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the remote source comprises a database associated with at least one of the merchants. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the coupons is redeemable only at one or more retailers predetermined by the associated merchant. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising determining the location of the portable device, wherein the ranking is based on the distance from the predetermined retailer's location to the location of the portable device. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising determining the address of the user of the portable device. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the ranking is a function of distance from the address to the predetermined retailer's location. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein determining the address of the user is based on data received from the user of the portable device. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein determining the address of the user includes using data from at least one source remote from both the portable device and the user. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the remote source comprises a database. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein the database is associated with at least one of the merchants. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the database is associated with at least one of the predetermined retailers. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein products or services of a merchant associated with one of the coupons are available for purchase only through one or more predetermined retailers, wherein the ranking for the associated coupon is based on data obtained from predetermined retailers from whom the user has made a purchase.